Hleze Kunju
The following poems were written by the Grade 9 Khutliso Daniels pupils during the 2017 Puku Story Festival Poetry workshop in Grahamstown. Both poems, ‘Umzali’ (a parent) and ‘Ndlovu’ (elephant) are about parenting. They say, a parent is someone who is with you at all times. Even if they are not there physically, their teachings always ring in your ears. In the second poem, parenting is compared with the character of an elephant. They finish off the poem by saying, “I wish I could have a parent like an elephant… I wish I could be a parent like an elephant.”
MZALI
Usoloko unam maxesha onke
Sele ukude kum, iimfundiso zakho,
zisoloko zinkenteza ezindlebeni zam
Zisoloko zisisikhanyiso ebomini bam
Undinika uthando olumangalisayo
Ngaphandle kwakho andiyonto
Usisihlobo sam sokwenene
Xa ndinawe ndiziva ndikhuselekile
Xa ndinawe ndiziva ndinovuyo
NguPhumza Peters, Sinazo Hloyi, Thuliswa Lumkwana, Lumkwana Kabosi
NDLOVU
Ntondini enyathela kushukum’ umhlaba,
Ntondini ekhonya kuhlokom’ amawa
Ntondini esoloko ikhusela usapho lwayo
Nantso le ndlovu ifundisa iintsana zayo
Nantso le ndlovu iphandela isizwe sayo
Yibone ihamba ngesidima nesithozela
Nantso ingumzekelo kusapho lwayo
Yanga nam ndinganomzali onje ngendlovu
Yanga nam ndingangumzali onje ngendlovu!
NguSango Mcuba, Siyamthanda Monde, Lukhanyo Maqoko, Siyamthanda Binda ‘noL. Veto’
